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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218597">More Than Meets the Eye</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rick_KTish/pseuds/Rick_KTish'>Rick_KTish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rick's Linked Universe things [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda (Video Game 1986), linked universe- fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hyrule's Era is Weird Man, Zine piece, minor injury, running for your life, some violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:42:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rick_KTish/pseuds/Rick_KTish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Landing in Hyrule's era gives the Links an opportunity to see their quietest member in his own element for a change.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyrule (Linke Universe) &amp; Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rick's Linked Universe things [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>More Than Meets the Eye</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Looking around the uniquely familiar half-light of the world they’d just stepped into, Hyrule took hardly a moment to leap into battle as he realized where they’d arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Sky cried out, alarm giving a faint tremor to his voice. He barely managed to haul himself to the side as the bulbous-faced thing waddled nearer, not pausing in the slightest as it hurled a spear directly forward at terrifying speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Moblins!” Hyrule replied, flinging images of light at the rapidly marching creatures from his sword. He dodged inelegantly as the moblins hurled spears directly forward, clearly having been trained less by formality and more by survival as he avoided each one by a margin that bespoke long hours of painful experience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s tattooed face was comically alarmed as he tried to swing at one of the monsters head-on, only to narrowly dodge a spear to the gut as his target continued marching forward, unbothered by his approach. “‘Tain’t like no moblin </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve </span>
  </em>
  <span>ever seen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nor I!” “Me neither!” “Definitely not!” came the chorus of agreement as each of them leapt into the fray.</span>
</p><p><span>Squat and stooped like frogs with their knees bent to their shoulders, the moblins in Hyrule’s world looked like they ought to shamble awkwardly from place to place. Instead, they barrelled horrifically in every direction, jowls jiggling and wobbling around their fangs as they shuffled their mass rapidly forward. They flung spears like darts, straight forward to whatever direction they were facing, but with terrifying power that ca</span>rried the projectiles out of sight without their landing on the ground.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Attack from the sides and back!” Hyrule called out, demonstrating as he dashed forward to slash at one from behind. He was rewarded with a spray of blood from the back of the monster’s skull and darted back as it shrieked before slumping forward. “They’re mostly blind, but don’t go for the front unless you’ve got your shield up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Following his instructions, the Links did their best to make quick work of the five six remaining moblins, but found it difficult. Most of them were used to charging at their enemies and cutting under their guards or otherwise forcing their way to victory; instead, these creatures would randomly swerve to march off in another direction just as they got close, leaving them swinging at empty air more often than not and trying to chase down their would-be victim without getting caught by the spears flying through the air or being jabbed forward by yet another sudden rotation. Once, Legend shouted in alarm as the moblin he’d been pursuing turned suddenly and swerved away from his blade, narrowly missing impaling him as it went. “Your moblins move like octoroks!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The greatest challenge came in the form of a surprise javelin that nearly impaled Warriors from the other side of a thick row of trees to one side. The moblins that appeared there were impossible to reach with their swords through the foliage; instead, Wild pulled out his bow and did his best to make quick work of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After far too long and much frustration, the last moblin was felled, and the clearing was left silent save only the labored breathing of the Links.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they all fought to catch their breaths, Time had them sound off. Most had made it through barely scathed, largely only bumps and bruises. Only Twilight and Wind were sporting injuries of any serious concern: Twilight with a worrying slice across his thigh, and Wind a large slash on one arm. As they all began digging through their bags for healing items, Warriors spoke what was on everyone’s minds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ladies above and about, what was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule didn’t even look up from where he was examining a fallen enemy. “Moblins. Southern ones.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Southern ones?” Wild looked interested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule shrugged. “Legs are more forward up north.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And those aren’t... bokoblins? Or bulblins? Or some other kind of ‘blin?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bafflement passed between several other Links, but Hyrule only continued his looting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should be safe here now,” he explained, tucking away a blue and a green rupee, “least ‘til we leave. They’re territorial, but not bright. If they hear sounds from here they’ll think we’re other moblins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glances were exchanged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s the nearest town?” Legend asked, trying to get his bearings in this world evolved from his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other side of Death Mountain,” Hyrule gestured, leaving off his search. “Saria Town.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time started. “Saria Town?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule nodded. “Have to go through the cave maze to get there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any inns?” Wild asked hopefully, but Hyrule shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a lady with a bed... an old woman who heals magic sickness. Nothing else really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warriors was looking concerned. “Anywhere we don’t have to go through the </span>
  <em>
    <span>active volcano</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get to?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Traveler looked reluctant. “Mido town’s only one cave... but it’s across a bridge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His expression suggested they were better off not asking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sky was looking worried now too, digging around in his pack and checking its contents. “Does anyone have an extra potion? I seem to be out...”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Four rummaged in his own pack a bit and tossed one to the Skyloftian over Wind’s protestations that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine, Cyclos take you, I don’t need a potion, it’s just a little scratch!</span>
  </em>
  <span>, commenting, “We’ll need a town sooner or later if we want to restock on supplies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Hyrule’s face finally lit up. “Potions we can get here! Old Woman is the only one who knows how to make them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignorant to or else uncaring of the looks of alarm that were again being passed around at this information, Hyrule eagerly snatched up his belongings from where he’d thrown them during the battle and began stuffing his finds from the moblins’ bodies into his bag. “We can all go, or some of us can set up camp. What do you think? Old Man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time was looking disturbed, muttering </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Mido town? Saria town, okay, but... Mido town???”</span>
  </em>
  <span> to himself, but he refocused upon hearing his appellation. “Camp seems like a good plan. This is your land, Traveler; where would be best?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule looked thoughtful. “Here’s probably alright since we cleared it out, but infected moblins might come anyway. There’s one place... we should go to the cave. It’ll be safe, and close to the Old Woman. We can stay there ‘til we move again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d never seen him so confident. There was a change that came over Hyrule in this land so clearly his own; a certainty that replaced his usual air of anxious curiosity. He clearly knew his way in this place, and so they followed his instructions without hesitation. Twilight was given Four’s potion at Wind’s insistence: if they needed to move quickly, a leg wound was far more hindering than an injury that was on Wind’s off arm anyway. Grudgingly they agreed, though Sky stubbornly sat on their youngest companion until he allowed them to at least bandage him up properly with a sling. Then the nine of them carefully gathered their gear and supplies, throwing bags over shoulders and tucking rolls behind straps. At Hyrule’s instruction, they all held their shields out and blades bare and at the ready, just as they’d seen the Traveller do himself for most of their journey. It seemed they were about to find out where he’d taken that habit from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing at a break in the trees, Hyrule looked around at them all one last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Run past the monsters. Be fast. If we stop, it has to be at the edge of camps; they don’t aim at sounds as well there, since our noise will be mixed with the next camp over. If something gets too close, dodge first, hit second. If you’re lucky it’ll jump away. Trying to fight all the way there is too risky, so run and dodge if possible. Just follow me; it’s not far. Any questions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wind looked like he wanted to ask a few, starting with </span>
  <em>
    <span>is that the most words you’ve ever said?</span>
  </em>
  <span> But Warriors clapped a hand on his shoulder and he stayed silent. Nodding, Hyrule turned back to the break and led the charge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was terrifying. Running flat-out with one’s shield up and at the ready was far more difficult than any of them had anticipated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They dashed clumsily from the border Hyrule had indicated past an open space with sparse rows of trees spread throughout it as quickly as they could, a group of nine no easy force to bring quickly across such an expanse, making it to the far border just barely in time as Warriors at the rear shoved Legend forward to get out of the path of a speeding javelin. Trying to get to the next border from there was where things began to go wrong, however; a line of trees before them backed by impenetrable stone barred the way forward, and Hyrule indicated they needed to go to their left, along the row away from the border they’d been hugging thus far. Frantically the eight other heroes scrambled to follow their intrepid guide, only to see a waddling, jiggling figure charging them down at breakneck speed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule moved first, flinging a beam of light from his sword toward the immense blue beast and then immediately raising his shield to block the projectile flying toward his face. He continued leading their party forward against the barrage, but only Wild’s quick draw on the string kept the beast from slamming directly into Hyrule. As it was, the delay of the attack was enough to draw the attention of a pair of octoroks who immediately launched their own projectiles in the group’s direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at the creatures, it was difficult not to slow and gape. Though they featured the familiar bulbous head and many limbs of regular octoroks, there the physical similarities ended. The normally pod-like feet had elongated into writhing, twisting tentacles that they used to paw and scuttle their way forward instead of pushing the ground behind them as nature had intended, and in place of the small, canon-shaped mouth most of them had seen in the past, these had a wide, gaping maw filled with rows upon rows of razor-shaped teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shields were hastily thrown up, feet still pounding against the loose, sandy dirt as they fled to the next border, but it didn’t stop anyone from noting the hiss of pain from Wild when a stone impacted his side as he reached to stow his bow away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule called a halt as they crossed the border, shouting only a hasty, “let me!” before charging ahead to draw the attention of a pair of leevers spinning up from the sand that stood between them and the shore ahead. The eight of them took the moment gratefully to catch their breath and looked on in astonishment and concern as their quietest member, always the least skilled with the blade by his own abashed admission, always the first to refer to himself not as a hero but as a humble traveller, deftly maneuvered the leevers into a corner and began hacking at them ungracefully as they drove toward him through the sand. There was something frantic and ungainly about his movements, constantly twisting back around to cover his own back, that belied the incredible skill he demonstrated in never once letting the monsters touch him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Four who pointed out the fireballs first. Several reached for weapons as the flames narrowly missed their Traveller as he lunged forward into a thrust, ending one of the Leevers, but it was unnecessary. The other was slain quickly in the time between that fireball and the next, and Hyrule called out to them to follow once again, quickly as they could, indicating the narrow canyon ahead as the next border. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sharing glances once again, they set themselves to dash forward, but Legend called out a warning: another fireball was hurtling directly at Hyrule. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At his predecessor’s shout, Hyrule turned and got his shield up barely in time to intercept the fiery projectile, saved only by the magic imbued in the item to withstand flames. Indicating that they should hurry before the next one was loosed, the Traveller waved them onward to the canyon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zolas don’t like people,” he said, waving away their concerns. “Road’s pretty open from here. We can walk the next two camps, just knock the tektites out of the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grateful for the reprieve, the group did just that, walking quickly but no longer dashing as swiftly as they could from place to place as they passed through the two camps of tektites to the border of the final octorok camp before their destination. There was one close call as Legend had to duck under a tektite jumping over his head, but it was otherwise, in Wind’s words, smooth sailing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last dash,” Hyrule informed them as they reached the octorok border. Glancing around, they were not much worse for wear than when they’d started. Twilight was limping still, grimacing, whilst Wind was cheerfully ignoring the sling still around his neck, waving his sword about as though trying to memorize Hyrule’s haphazard moves against the Leevers. Sky was finally getting control of his breathing after their race through the first few camps. Wild was favoring the ribs on his left side, holding them as he stood and looking paler than anyone would like, and Legend had a faint trail of blood smeared across his forehead which he kept wiping an arm at. The rest seemed a bit winded, but otherwise alright. Time gave the all-clear, and into the camp they charged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This clearing was different from the others, in that the trees throughout formed a narrowing barrier at the far end to which they were travelling. This meant that the nine of them had to dodge trees as they went as well as the stones being hurled in their direction. All seemed to be going well until they reached the narrow path to safety and realized they would only be able to fit one at a time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go!” Hyrule urged, pushing Wild through into the next clearing. An enemy rounded in their direction and Hyrule stepped forward to block any projectiles from passing the entrance. “In!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arguing was pointless. They began to force their way through the gap in the foliage. In turn Twilight, Four, Wind, Warriors, and Sky fought their way through to safety. Only Hyrule, Legend, and Time remained. Legend was favoring his left ankle, having twisted it lunging to shield Sky from a flying stone, and Hyrule waved him toward the entrance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, Vet,” he urged, “We’ll follow!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Legend looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it as he fumbled a leap back away from a monster scuttling a little too close for comfort. He was saved only by its random swerve away at the last moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d better see you in less than five minutes!” he ordered instead, waving away the proffered hand and stubbornly gimping his way through the trees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You next, Old Man,” Hyrule gestured with his head, pausing his shielding long enough to send a carefully timed sword beam off to obliterate an octorok. “I’ll follow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time nodded and melted in between the thick trees to find the other members of their party in various states of collapse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sky had utterly lost whatever recovery he’d managed walking through the tektite camps and was wheezing worryingly on the ground a few paces away as Four crouched over him worriedly. Wild had opted to curl protectively around his middle nearby, looking even paler than before, while Twilight had apparently fallen over next to him and was attempting to assess his ribs in between changing colors every time he moved his leg. Legend was leaning against a tree and arguing with Warriors about his ankle. Only Wind seemed to have much energy left, but even he had stopped waving his injured arm about, finally having rested it in its sling. All present and accounted for, if rather worse for wear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing Hyrule behind him, Time moved from the entryway to allow their quietest incarnation through. He watched the brunette look around, taking stock as he himself had just done, before turning to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Such care in so simple a word. Time smiled at nodded. “They will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule accepted this decree and turned toward the low cave entrance in the far corner of the clearing. Wind, ever eager, bounded to his feet, drawing the others’ attention as much as it could be spared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is this place, anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule stopped in place. There was something nervous, almost shy once again, in the way he smiled at the youngest of their incarnations, and yet it could not hide the unbound </span>
  <em>
    <span>joy</span>
  </em>
  <span> that filled his quiet voice as he answered:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Home.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And without another word, he crouched and slipped into the little cave entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence rang in the clearing with the departure. All seemed to be at a loss for words. A world like this, with monsters so horrendously misshapen and unpredictable, such a faded light permeating all in perpetuity, and a hole in the ground bearing the beloved epithet— somehow all these things had borne their quiet, unobtrusive companion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Four, often the most observant of them all, who brought the thought to speech:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems there’s much more than first meets the eye to that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hyrule emerged, looking satisfied with himself. “Got my stepladder back,” he gave in shy but eager explanation, “and my raft. Old Woman’s shop’s hidden in the octorok camp; I’ll go clear it out. You rest.” And with a confident smile, so new and yet so bright to them all, he strolled back through the narrow break.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More than meets the eye indeed,” Time agreed with Four after the Traveler had disappeared. “Much more.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, he went to go sit on Twilight to make him stop aggravating his wound while they waited for Hyrule to come back.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HOORAY FOR ZINE!! This was so much fun. Stressful, but fun. I'm so happy it happened!<br/>Hopefully at some point someone will make a collection for this to go to, but till then, enjoy it on its own. I had a fun time writing it, so I hope it's entertaining to read, too. </p><p>Many thanks to Sarah on the Discord for putting everything together- we stan a being of power and selflessness! Fantastic human being, that one. </p><p>And I usually intentionally avoid asking for comments, but the fact of the matter is that they feed my soul, so if any of yous has any spare serotonin and a minute or two to write some words, 'twould be much appreciated. </p><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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